New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells acknowledged the organization's interest in acquiring another catcher before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, but insisted the situation is not weighing on him. Wells stated that he cannot control any potential roster moves and is focused on his current role.

"All I can do is go play and try to win," Wells said Saturday. "I feel that being behind the plate for our staff and the guys is giving us the best chance to win. I tell myself that. I can’t control anything other than that."

While Wells' defensive capabilities have continued to impress scouts, his offensive production has been a source of concern. One American League scout described his hitting as "ruined," noting he doesn't appear to be the same player he once was.

This lack of offensive consistency has led to speculation that the Yankees are interested in acquiring a catcher like Ryan Jeffers of the Minnesota Twins, as reported by Joel Sherman. Wells is currently splitting catching duties with Ali Sánchez.

Despite his overall struggles, Wells has shown recent signs of improvement at the plate. He entered Saturday having reached base in four consecutive plate appearances and seven of his previous 10. After his OPS dropped to a Major League-worst .468 on July 8, his performance in the following eight games saw him hit 6-for-21 with two home runs, four walks, and four strikeouts.

These recent improvements follow Wells' recovery from cervical headaches that previously placed him on the injured list. He believes he is seeing the ball better and attributes some of his improved feeling to being healthier. Wells also mentioned that the hockey-style mask he has used since his return has been beneficial.

"I’m still doing better every day," Wells said. "I never dealt with something like this before and there’s not a lot of research on this kind of [injury]."

Even with the recent uptick, Wells entered Saturday's game with the lowest batting average (.163) among all MLB players with at least 220 plate appearances this season. His .262 on-base percentage and .524 OPS are also among the lowest for hitters with comparable playing time.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone acknowledged the team's expectations for Wells offensively but also highlighted his maturity and focus on his defensive responsibilities. "Obviously, we expect a lot more of him offensively, but he knows he can hit," Boone said. "He knows he’s a better hitter than he’s shown this year. It’s tough to deal with, but he’s also mature enough and advanced enough in his career that he understands the importance of being behind the plate every single day and the role of limiting runs and helping the pitching staff. He’s done a really good job of separating it."

Wells echoed this sentiment, stating, "That’s my No. 1 job: Being able to lock in on defense and focus to have great games with our pitchers. That takes a lot of the weight of the results off the hitting side away, but I know I can hit better than I’ve shown."